Nayara Springs

A beautiful setting, excellent service, gorgeous rooms with terraces and plunge pools, and everything you could want from a resort: beautiful pools with cabanas, hiking trails, a gym and yoga studio, excellent restaurants ranging from casual to elegant. There’s plenty to do in LaFortuna, but Nayara Springs is a place you could come and just stay on property. It has everything you could want!

Nayara Springs is a truly luxurious resort nestled in the rainforest surrounding the Arenal Volcano. Its stylish and immaculate facilities, wonderful staff, and stunning villas made for a perfect celebration of our mile-stone anniversary. Booking/Coordination. We booked directly via Nayara’s website which gave the best rate and cancellation policy available (at least that I could find). Pre-coordination before arrival was via e-mail and they were very responsive. We coordinated dinner reservations, airport transfer, and experiences. They provided a personalized itinerary and fulfilled any request we had for information and detail. A demonstration of their commitment to service and a perfect experience even before we landed in Costa Rica. Check-in. We opted to fly into Liberia vs. San Jose based on what we had read for an easier ride. We booked a transfer with Nayara and the price was competitive to other independent options. Our ride was just under three hours and included a pit-stop an hour and a half in with a nice view of Lake Arenal and restaurant which we skipped. The second half of the drive is windier so if anyone has motion issues recommend dramamine. The driver was friendly, the vehicle clean, they even provide water and snacks. The check-in process was efficient and as expected. Although I did their on-line check-in, I don’t think we saved any time. The concierge did a nice job of reviewing the property, our itinerary, and how to contact them. Once on property any services coordination is done via a phone call to the front desk. Although always responsive and friendly, a “WhatsApp” option would have been nice. After check-in we were taken via golf-cart for a short tour and then to our villa accompanied by our assigned concierge and driver/porter. She gave us a nice run-down of the room/amenities and after depositing our bags we were left to settle-in. Room. All of the villas in Nayara Springs are the same and they are truly remarkable. The pictures do in-fact do them justice and one could really spend their entire experience in-suite. Fantastic bathroom area (split vanity area targeting gender) with inside and outside dual head showers. The main living area has a large sitting area, a desk area, and of course the bed. The selling point was the terrace with breathtaking views of the jungle and volcano spring heated pool/hot-tub (they have some control over temperature and it was perfect for us however think “hot-tub” not “plunge-pool”). These villas are very well thought-out and we loved it. Facilities. Nayara grounds are huge as they encompass three resorts in one. It is very vertical and at times steep. They have drivers at the ready for quick transport to anyplace you may choose on the resort. As Nayara Springs is Adults only, they have two pool options. Both have food and drink available but Cielito Lindo pool has a few more options and the Amor Loco pool is considered the “quiet pool”. However both were very relaxed and quiet and they heated the water to be very comfortable. They also have numerous other facilities like hot springs (in Nayara Tented Camp), two Spas with full services, and a boutique. The grounds are immaculately maintained, full of wonderful wild-life, and like the Villas, brilliantly thought-out and curated. Dining. We had high expectation and the resort delivered. Breakfast is complimentary and served either in the Mis Amores restaurant or taken in your villa (for a small fee). It is al a carte and should satisfy any pallet. Good ingredients, nice preparation, and friendly service of course with marvelous views of the jungle. We had light lunches by the pool and the highlight was the pizza available at the Cielito Lindo pool. Most critical to our experience was dinner. First we enjoyed Mis Amores Italian: An outside covered terrace elevated above the forest, they had a nice Italian menu and solid wine list. Highlight was Linguine alle Vongole (clams) and Tagliata di Angus (skirt steak). Besame Mucho Private Dinner: They have two cozy dining rooms, each a perfect fit for two people. You have a dedicated server and chef providing a wonderfully prepared and presented tasting menu and optional wine pairing. You have the option of setting the tone/music and the overall experience was nice, tasty, and intimate. Ayla Mediterranean: Located in the Tented Camp has a nice covered/tented terrace. Highlight was the freshly baked pita and hummus. Amor Loco Tasting Menu: A cozy retro-lounge with comfy couches and hip lighting this dining experience was a real standout experience for us. Featuring a modernist cuisine tasting menu with Costa Rican flavors and ingredients, the experience was on-par or exceeded many previous Michelin level establishments we have enjoyed in the past. The thoughtfully curated menu, ingredients, and flawless preparation were only outdone but the enthusiasm and expertise of the front of house staff from servers to sommeliers. Truly remarkable. Do not miss this experience, we would return to the resort for this restaurant alone. Staff. The staff makes the resort experience and Nayara Springs certainly has fantastic staff. Friendly, knowledgeable, personal, and each invested in ensuring our stay was perfect, we always felt as if we were the most important guests. We have enjoyed many resorts around the world and this staff ranks as one of the best we have experienced. All are deserving of mention but then this would be a resort roster. That said there were three people who gave us the “highlight experiences” of the trip. Drivers William and Francesco not only gave us a friendly ride but ensured we saw the wildlife the rainforest is famous for. But most memorable will be Sergi of the Amor Loco. A standout among professionals, he made our dining experience among one of the best we have ever had. Thanks Sergi! Tips. Always a personal choice and none of the staff expected it however we chose to tip. Each check provides an option of additional tip (above the 10% service charge) which is divided among all staff of the entire resort (as I understand it). So if you want to “reward” a specific individual with money, cash is king. And as a small note….there is no ATM on property. They only offered “cash advance” at an unreasonable fee. Our visit to Nayara Spring will go down as one of our favorites thanks to the staff and terrific property. They have it all - facilities, accommodations, breathtaking location, and world class staff. Thanks very much to all the men and women of Nayara springs. See you next time!

My wife and I spent 5 nights here after our wedding in Tamarindo and it was exactly what we needed. A romantic, remote location, with excellent food, service and activities. The check-in process was very intimate and personalized. The welcome pumpkin cocktail was superb. We then took a private tour of the whole Nayara property on golf cart and ended in the room where all the luggage had already been unloaded for us. The photographs online do NOT do the room justice. The rooms here are gorgeous and extremely spacious. Outdoor shower was amazing, and always clean. The personal spring fed hot tubs were our favorite. Turn down service always left us a little treat, and upon arrival a bottle of sparkling wine was left for us to celebrate our recent marriage. Housekeeping left the room immaculate each and every visit. The water and mini-bar snacks were always restocked and everything was perfectly organized. The properties restaurants are all very good. We dined at Nostalgia wine bar and did the tasting menu with pairing which was actually quite hearty. Delicious food and wine. We went back several times during our stay to try more wine with the Sommelier Leo. The Wine bar is a great place to hang out have light bites and socialize. The Amor Loco Fine dining is a whole vibe itself- can look up their reviews but, MUST TRY if you're foodies and into Michelin restaurants. The espresso martinis at the coffee bar were also on point. With a booking at Nayara springs you'll have access to the entire resort, Nayara Gardens and Tented Camp. The resort is large enough and well thought out that if absolute privacy is the goal, it will be easily achieved. If socializing is the goal, that too is possible. We played a mixture of both, even met some other honeymooners, had dinner with them and was a great time. The spa was very nice and clean. Priced like most 5* resorts, so don't be surprised. Likewise, food and drink (even poolside cocktails) are priced to 5* resorts around the world and US. The on-site hot springs are perfect, no real need to travel into la Fortuna for this, unless you're looking for an adventure. Plus side of the on-site hot springs is there is a server that will be happy to bring drinks while in there. We had a beautiful quick rain shower while in the hot-spring, and it was amazing. Only possible downside to resort is the steep areas walking around. My wife and I had no issue but said our parents would definitely need to take the golf cart (quickly available) everywhere if they ever stayed here. Overall, very glad we picked this resort. It exceeded our expectations and would happily stay again.

This resort is in a great location with lovely views of the volcano. The service was the best we had in Costa Rica. Our villa was large, comfortable, and well appointed. The indoor and outdoor showers and the mineral pool were highlights. Overall, though, this place is not at the level of like an Aman or St Regis. The food, which we had heard such good things about, was pretty mediocre, especially Mis Amores, where I had dry and overcooked chicken. We had a better meal in La Fortuna. Amor Loco was a fun experience - I loved the gastronomic twist on Costa Rican foods. The spa is nice because of the setting but my treatment was only OK (volcanic Mud massage - I loved the mud part but the massage was just average). One word of warning - the property is hilly so if you aren't in decent shape you will need to rely on the golf carts to get around and the paths are a bit narrow for them. We ended up walking almost everywhere. Overall, though, I give it five stars because I am not sure there is anything better in the area.

There is so much about this Resort that will hold such a special place in our heart. I don’t even know where to start or stop. Every single person we encountered at the resort was so genuine and always smiling. We encountered so many amazing staff members, those names are what I will focus on. We couldn’t have gotten a more exceptional personal host, Luis Vasquez. He went above and beyond for us since the moment we met him until we left. The Manager at Ayla named Claudia also treated us with exceptional hospitality. The staff at Ayla; Robin (Server), Mario josue (Musician), Pabitra (Chef). The staff at Mis amores; Raquel and Maria (Servers), Henry and Brenton (Bartenders), Jean Carlos and Jonathon (Managers). Jose bartender at Henry’s. Karina (General Manager) and Steven (Manager) at Nayara Springs went out of their way to help with our wedding day! Berny and Tatiana at Nayara Springs front desk. Brayner from Bésame Mucho/Mis Amores. We had multiple interactions with Axel on the golf cart and he was so kind to us. Thank you to everyone who made this trip one we will never forget. We hope to come back to visit. Pura Vida ❤️